At Crossroads
by alwaysmHine
Summary: They were so different but somehow alike..so near yet so far. A girl haunted by her past, a servant who wants her freedom, a keeper of secrets, and a group of warriors willing to give up their own lives for their country. A certain future was already set out for them but it seems fate has so much in stored for them. Faced with a crossroad, they will only have to choose one path.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Mimiko**

"Mimiko! A man is waiting for you downstairs!"

"Let him wait! I'm busy!" she yelled back knowing who that man her cousin was referring to was.

"Mimiko! Get down here!" now, it was her Aunt yelling.

Mimiko grumbled as stomped her way downstairs. She noticed the glare her Aunt was giving to her but ignored it. Her Aunt means well, she just doesn't know how to show it, even to her own daughter.

"Mimiko! There you are!" her cousin said with a large smile on her face, "Why didn't you tell me you know a handsome guy like him?" she asked

She almost had a heart attack. _Ack! Shinpachi? Handsome?_ , "Shinpachi-san? Handsome?" she asked out loud.

A new voice joined their conversation, "I don't like that tone of yours, brat," it was Shinpachi.

"Well, it's better than laughing at you," Mimiko said.

Shinpachi ignored her and looked over his friend's shoulder, "Hey little miss, I hope you won't mind if I kidnap your cousin for a while,"

"Nope, just bring her back in one piece before dinner," Yuna said giving his a big smile.

"Thanks!" then he dragged Mimiko away from her house.

…

"You know, Shinpachi-san. If I didn't know you too well, I would say you're in love with Harada-san,"

Shinpachi choked on his drink while Mimiko only stared at him, coughing and turning green, "I mean, you always talk about him. Sano-this and Sano-that, you sound like a love-sick girl,"

"Mimiko!"

She hid her smile well but her eyes betrayed everything, "I was joking, what do you want me to do again?" she asked. She wasn't exactly listening to his ranting about his best friend.

"I just want to know his secret for being so popular with the girls! Maybe you could tell me, what do you think about him?"

"I don't even know what he looks like, but from the sound of it, he's handsome and strong,"

Never in her life has she seen Shinpachi's best friend but she heard many things about him coming from many girls and Shinpachi himself. But she was never curious about him, he sounds like many other men, handsome and a flirt. Her attention went back to Shinpatchi who had a surprised look on his face, "Are you serious?" he asked

"About what?"

"Not seeing Sano-san?"

Mimiko nodded her head. Then suddenly, Shinpachi had a big grin on his face, and she did not like it. She had the urge to take a step back but was unable to because she was sitting on a chair so she looked away, "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Mimiko-chan, you're different from other girls right?" he asked

Not understanding his question she answered, "I don't know,"

"You were never the type of girl who easily falls in love so easily on looks, right?"

"Where are you getting at, Shinpachi?"

"Hard-headed, brutal—OUCH!" she stepped on his foot under the table, "Independent. You're exactly, Sano-san's type!"

She stepped on his foot again, "You idiot! You just told me last week, he prefers pretty and timid women,"

"I did?" he asked, lost in thought of last week's conversation until it dawned on him, "Oh, you're right,"

Mimiko only buried her head on her palm, "You're hopeless, Shinpachi-san,"


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to add..this story is going to be written in drabbles...I hope you'll still like it (^_^)V**

**Chapter 2: Hana**

"Hey! What is happening here?" No one answered so Heisuke pushed the people away so he could see what was happening.

It was confrontation between a young woman and a drunk man.

"Come on pretty lady. I know you want it," the drunk man said

Heisuke saw the lady roll her eyes before saying, "Leave me alone before you get hurt,"

Suddenly, the man's face contorted with anger and dropped his bottle of half empty sake as he unsheathed his katana and poised to attack the lady.

"How dare you disrespect me?! Do you know who I am?" he yelled at her.

"You're nothing but a drunkard in this city. Just because you have a sword doesn't make you important at all!" the lady spat back at him.

"You ungrateful witch! I am one of the rebels who-" then he ran towards her with his katana ready to cut her throat but she effortlessly dodged all his attacks like a skilled warrior would. Swiftly, she managed to move behind him and hit him at the back of his neck rendering his unconscious on the ground.

"Told you so,"

The crowd started to disperse to go back to their morning routine, Heisuke and his squad neared the lady who was trying to drag the man to a safe corner of the street, "Let me help you," he said

"Can't have him sleeping in the middle of the street, can we?" she began as they both carried the man.

"Yup, I'm Heisuke by the way," he said shyly, rubbing the back on his head.

The lady only bowed her head, "I'm Hana,"

"Hana—" he was interrupted when someone called for his new companion.

"There you are, I was looking all over town for you," the man was a splitting image of Hana, pale skin, dark eyes small nose and brown hair expect for his tired eyes and towering height, "Let's go back,"

"Yes, big brother,"

After saying farewell, they both made their separate ways into the city.

**I know it's short, and I don't have any excuse for it...**

**Thank you for reading...**

** changingsakura_I forgot to add, I don't know but I'll try to update one or twice a week...**


	3. Chapter 3

Depression's a pain in the neck…seriously. Sorry I wasn't able to update like I promised…

I would like to add that this story will be an Alternate Universe but the Canon Characters will still be the same.

So here's the third chapter….

* * *

**Chapter 03**

* * *

"You should have seen her! She was so cool when she—"

"That's enough Heisuke," sternly, the only female presence among the ranks of the Shinsengumi said

Shinpachi snickered as he watched his comrade scared stiffened at the woman in front of him. Momoka was truly a force to be reckoned with, though she wasn't a warrior like the rest of them, her strict upbringing from her late father made her into a head strong and independent person.

Then Momoka's cold and calculating eyes shifted to him, "And as for you? Where were you this morning? You were supposed to replace Saito on round duty today but you were gone and no one knew where,"

"Sorry about that, I never meant to be gone for so long. I just went to a close friend of mine and lost track of time," was his excuse.

Momoka sighed, even though Shinpachi was years older than her she can clearly see how more mature she was than him, "I honestly don't want to do with you, Shinpachi-san,"

"Momoka-chan! You're stealing my lines! I should be the one to say that!" was Kondou's cheerful statement, "Toshi might keep his mouth shut but I know he wants to have a say to his rowdy Captains too!"

Hijikata would usually smile-a-little-then-return-to-his-cold-emotionless-expression in this type of situation but the thought of a female prisoner in one of their guest rooms was bugging him. She was caught sneaking into their headquarters by himself when he went out for his usually stroll around the place though she immediately fainted when she saw him standing behind her.

"Hijikata-san!" the man's thoughts were interrupted when the fusuma was opened harshly, "Hijikata-san! The girl you brought! She won't stop screaming!"

Without further ado, he left their dining area and ran towards the guest's quarters. There he heard anguished screams coming from the first room, several medics were already inside but no one had pinpointed what exactly was happening to her.

"It's seems like she's having a nightmare but we can clearly see she's awake!" said one of them.

"We can't have her screaming so late at night. What if people will hear? Now that we have regained their trust we can't risk ruining it again!"

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thank you for reading! XD


	4. Chapter 4: A Glimpse

**Chapter 4: A Glimpse**

* * *

Flashback

* * *

_"My lady, dinner is served," a female servant said from outside of Momka's room_

_In a soft yet stern voice that she got from her father, she answered, "Thank you, you may go now,"_

_Dressed in one of her best yukata, she slid open her fusuma to be greeted by the white and pale moon shinning at her. She quickly shifted her attention to her father that was waiting for her. She raced towards the dining area of their home before her father realizes her tardiness._

* * *

_"You are late. Again," her father said from inside the room_

_Momoka only sighed before entering the room and sat in front of her father, "I'm sorry. I got distracted," she said._

_"Excuses. I expect you to be early tomorrow or there will be no food for you," he threatened._

_"Understood,"_

_Two servants entered and presented to them their meal after they left Sakumo said, "You should, being the sole heir of our family you are expected to be respectable,"_

_"Yes father,"_

_Sakumo continued, "You should also consider yourself lucky that I'm not going to send you off to marry my friends' sons unlike other girls. You're too precious to be given to those brainless, egotistical spoiled brats who knows nothings of the world,"_

_Momoka inwardly smiled at her father's words, she loved hearing how miserable those boys' lives will be especially coming from her father. When she saw younger, those boys would pick on her for being a girl. They would pull on her hair and throw away her dolls and she couldn't run to her father. He despised crying more than anything , especially coming from her._

_After that, they ate in silence._

_Suddenly, a loud crash was heard from the front of the main building. At first, they didn't bother asking what was that about until a scent of something burning entered their nostrils. Someone screamed, "Help! He—"_

_They both stood up when Momoka's eyes widened when she heard several swords hitting each other. A group of rushed footsteps were then heard nearing their room, "Father," Momoka said._

_Sakumo pressing his finger to his mouth to tell his daughter to keep quiet while his other hand gripped the katana he kept under his robes._

_"When I give you a signal, I want you to run as fast as you can, don't stop and don't look back until you find help," he said._

_"What about you? You'll follow right?"_

_But before Sakumo could answer, the fusuma opened and several armed men made their way inside the room, "The Choushuu rebels have surrounded us, sir!" it was Sakumo's men_

_Sakumo cursed and thought of a plan to ensure his daughter's safety. Then he remembered, the wall just in front of them, he used to climb when he was still a child and if he remembered correctly, the other side of the wall would be the a small and dark alley._

_"Momoka, see that wall?" she nodded, "I want you to climb it and stick to the plan. No matter what happens, don't look back,"_

_"Sir, they're coming," said one of his men._

_"Now, Momoka! Make haste!"_

_Momoka immediately ran towards the wall, her hands were sweaty when she gripped on the stones protruding from the wall. She has never done this before, nor did she even thought of it. A lady doesn't climb walls, "Father! Grab my hand!" she called._

_She gave out a loud cry when she looked back and saw her father fall to the ground, "No!" she screamed. A young man with brown hair, at first, he looked normal but then his eyes glowed red. Red as the blood that flowed from her father's mouth and chest._

_The poor girl gasped when the man turned to her with a smile on his face. It wasn't an evil sneer like the ones given to her by her childhood enemies, it was a smile that usually shows when you're reunited with someone special and seeing that on his face, it was sickening._

_One of her father's men who was still standing said, "Go, my lady!" then he pushed her causing her to fall to the other side of the wall right before one of the rebels stabbed him._

* * *

Until the last drop of rain falls to the Earth, she will never forget that face. A handsome, flawless, bloody face with eyes of red that looked at her like she was a lost kin. She will never forget that face that killed her last blood relation; Sakumo may be a harsh man but he was a good father to her.

"Momoka? Are you alright?" it was Souji. He and the others from the dining room joined her to see the girl that Hijikata saw sneaking around the headquarters.

_A girl._

But if this person is a girl, then this person couldn't be the murderer from that night. But the resemblance was uncanny, her face may be twisted in pain, a beautiful and unmarred face was still obvious just like _his_.

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thanks for reading!

*I hardly call this a drabble...


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